Presentation for Scholarship Workshops

Presentation for the Scholarship Workshop - Feedback is encouraged.

Recommendations, links to blogs, people to follow on Twitter are welcome. The workshop is open to the public and will be held in the computer lab at the local library.



A shared document is provided. This document is a collection of sites, tips, links, references from previous workshop participants. Please add your favorites to the list as this is the shared public document.

If anyone would like to participate in the back channel conversation, please join us on 12/3, 12/10, or 12/17. During the workshop we take a break and venture through the reference section and the 370 series book shelves for those who prefer the books over the computers. The audience ranges from traditional students and their parents to the rest of us who are considered non traditional students.

Scholarship Workshops in December

During the month of December, I conduct scholarship workshops at the local library in the computer lab.

This workshop is not limited by age, student grades, or any other screening factor our students may encounter as they age out of the school system. If parents come with their student, the student gets seated at the computer, parents and guardians sit behind their student. This workshop is about empowering the student. No parent is excluded, participative parenting is encouraged. Sometimes parents return to college at the same time as their young adult student.

After our introductions, we review the presentation using Google Docs, discuss creating a MeFolios, GA College 411, answer questions together, then go out into the library to the reference book section about colleges, scholarships, certifications, internships, and apprenticeships. We also visit the 370 series where books can be checked out and taken home to read for those who prefer to avoid the computer and have a library card.

This year the Scholarship Workshops will be held at Diamond Lakes Library on Wednesdays in December. December 3, 10, 17 2008.

People ask, "Why in December"? Why not? The holidays are here, school breaks are in December...but only for those residential F2F (face to face) schools. You see...I am a non traditional online graduate student and a parent. Looking for supplemental college funds is just another part of our lives, whether school is in or out of session. There is not one particular time of the year that is better for us, but I remember wishing someone would have provided this opportunity for us. I have sat in scholarship workshops where some adult read the FAFSA form to me, read a PowerPoint presentation to me, or limited my participation because of my daughter's age. I decided to create a participative computer workshop. The public schools wouldn't let me in or the ones that would blocked Google docs and other sites we needed to visit, so I found a fit for everyone...our local library. Wi-Fi is even available at this library, so when the computer workstations are full as they usually are, Wi-Fi is available for everyone with a smart phone, a net book, or a lap top/notebook.

Another reason the workshops are in December is to encourage our students and parents to discuss taxes. Students apply for scholarships and colleges. When they fill out the FAFSA, online or print version, there is a section about parents' income. Parents be real with your young adults. They may have qualified for free or reduced lunch while in public school and while maintaining that status in high school also provided free or reduced SAT testing fees and waived some college application fees but it is time to be real with your students.

Students in high school today need to know about insurance (medical, dental, life, auto), what happens when they turn 18, what do they do if something happens. While our young adult's age may put them in a legal adult status so they are can apply for student loans, fill out credit card applications, vote, and/or join the military, turning 18 doesn't make you wise beyond your years...it just makes you legally responsible for your actions. For some young adults turning 18 brings on the real world school house, the school of hard knocks, or a gateway to military freedom. So parents, guardians, grandparents...take the time to connect with your young adult, share your lessons learned and listen to their concerns.

So if you are in the area...stop by the library. And if you are not in the library, you can stay at home, register for the workshop by calling the library and we will share the presentation with you as a dL* participant.

If you have lessons learned that you would like to share, please do. As usual, your comments, suggestions, recommendations are always welcome.


*dL - Acronym from the Army for distrubutive learning with an emphasis on the capital L for learning and less focus on the transition of the d from distance to distributive.

Thanks Google

I am a Google girl, a Googler, or whatever Google jargon you apply to those of us who do everything Google. I don't preach Google, I just incorporate it into everything I do...including today during the massive block of all USB connections on the army.mil domain (NIPR and SIPR). The network admins were/are on massive random scans, my materials were readily available. So again I have to say "Thanks Google" for allowing me to continue supporting our service members.

From Teyana Taylor's song and her Google Me Official Music Video on YouTube to the many school assignments created on how to implement Google products, Google labs, the Google blogs to share information, to teach a computer skill, to teach others how to communicate using gmail to chat to gmail video chat to the available products through the Google Store from wearables to accessories. There are many more items to be thankful for as Google has been a source for demonstrations and writing assignments during my online schoolwork.

As we move into the week before Thanksgiving (in the US) and we take stock in what we are thankful for...don't forget the Google Docs holiday templates for your holiday documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. As Google celebrated 10 years this year I am thankful for Google, the Google philanthropy, Google's corporate philosophy, the Google blogs, the products and labs that allow me to share knowledge with others as we bridge the digital divide, one person, one group, one net, collaboratively, individually, and all the other ly words we use.

So as you prepare your annual Thanksgiving Gmail, with the newly added Themes and emoticons, send thanks, be thankful, and make the most of The Dash between your date of birth and your date of expiration.

From the many Google Doodles and Logos

From the titles of Google products: Search, Explore and innovate, Communicate, show & share and Go Mobile. Take the time to say "Thank You"...you will be surprised how 2 little words can make a person's day.

Thank You for taking a moment to read the blog post!!!

Online learning through cell phones

On 10/30 I blogged about Liz Kolb's book available through ISTE and Amazon, Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education. You can now register for her webinar scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 2008 (1 pm Pac/2 pm Mtn/3 pm Cen/4 pm Eastern).

On November 12, 2008, Jordan Blum published an article, Classes to be offered via cell phone in 2theAdvocate.com. As an advocate for dL, not as a mandate but an option, I applaud Louisiana Community and Technical College System, or LCTCS for offering 21 general education and business courses for students using iPhones or Blackberries. Tuition for courses offered by LCTCS Online is $63 per credit hour, and financial aid is available for eligible students. There are no additional fees, and the tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students.

I understand this is not the first choice for everyone, just as distance learning is not for everyone, but for those who wish to continue their education without sitting in a lecture hall, this is a great opportunity. I posted the link and article snippets in the high school newsgroup...I am trying to imagine myself as a teenager in an education system where cell phones are banned and then discovering an opportunity to earn college credit using the banned device. My daughter said she might try one course but she likes the social aspect of attending school even though she hates lectures.

But for my peers who are always doing something, from being deployed as a service member to trying to do 48 hours of activities in a 16 hour day, the smart phone courses would be the perfect fit. Again...I am somewhat biased...I love the online learning environment, I love facilitating in the online environment and I despise having someone read a presentation to me. Time is a valuable resource to me...I am still busy trying to make the most of the dash that will rest between my date of birth and death.

So Louisiana Community and Technical College System...you get a hat tip and a round of applause. I know many institutions will be watching as you employ the adage by John Burroughs, "Leap and the net will appear." Check out the courses here. Once there click on the Mobile Content to see the 21 courses offered from English Comp I and II, US History, Macro and Microeconomics.

Tuition for courses offered by LCTCS Online is $63 per credit hour, and financial aid is available for eligible students. There are no additional fees, and the tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Registration for online courses begins 1/5/09 and classes begin 1/26/09.

This opportunity offered by LCTCS also demonstrates collaboration between the LA Board of Regents, AT&T, Pearson, and LCTCS.

Want to work for President-elect Barack Obama's administration?

CNN's article titled, White House job application leaves no stone unturned has people conducting personal inventories. While many people cringe about filling out a form or application like this, any one with a security clearance will tell you 7 pages, 63 questions...no problem.

Article highlights:
· Would-be presidential appointees must fill out 63-item questionnaire
· Questions cover resume, affiliations, finances, personal relationships
· Vetters want to know about Web pages, blogs, links to mortgage giants
· One section devoted to domestic help, a trouble spot in past administrations

It also asks about writings, speeches, testimony, online communications and even personal diaries.

This is a great time to create a "Me Folio" and teach our children how to document themselves, promote digital citizenship, and personal e-responsibility.

I give a participative scholarship workshop at the local library. One of the first activities participants conduct is to Google themselves and review the search results, images, maps, and news.

Some participants are surprised about the information that is available, some find people with the same name different state or country, and others have even found information on family members. If someone has no information available, the next activity has them entering names into CVGadget.

I also encourage our students (young and adult) to create and write outside of course assignments which allows them to supplement what we refer to as their "Me Folio".

I encourage them to build a collection documenting every accomplishment from the 1st grade perfect attendance, best reader in 3rd grade, news recognition, spelling bee awards, years selected to honor rolls, student council positions to community services. The workshop requires students to use the computers to create, share, and modify Google Docs, share knowledge on scholarship search engines, and explore opportunities from corporations, local agencies, and personal networking.

Keeping documents available through Google Docs allows the participants to quickly access information if they are completing applications for extra-curricular activities, college, and job applications. Over time they learn to review their personal writing styles which allows the students to see how they improve, self assess, and with Google Docs sharing capability an opportunity to have mentors and community leaders to provide assistance. I encourage participants to build their "Me Folios" so when they are given that one question that many people choke on during interviews, "Within one minute, tell me about yourself".

So whether you are applying for a cabinet position in Obama's administration or applying for a volunteer, job, or college position, be a master of your data.